This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art which may be related to various embodiments of the present invention which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Various electronic devices may be adapted to communicate with each other to form a system. For example, a home computer system may consist of a computer, a monitor, and various peripheral devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner, modem, etc. Typically, electrical cables are routed between the various devices and the computer to enable the various devices to communicate with the computer. However, many electrical devices are operable to communicate wirelessly using radio signals. Wireless communication provides great flexibility for movement of the devices and removes the difficulty of routing the cables between the devices. For example, a wireless modem may be coupled to the Internet and a portable computer provided with a corresponding wireless modem card to enable the portable computer to access the Internet wirelessly anywhere within a given radius from the wireless modem.
On a larger scale, computer networks, such as local area networks (LANs), generally include two or more computer systems or nodes that are linked together such that each of the nodes in the network can communicate and share data with the other nodes in the network. One type of LAN technology that may be implemented is the wireless local area network (WLAN) that uses high-frequency radio waves rather than wires to facilitate communication between the nodes. The network is more flexible without the need to route cables to each node in the WLAN. This benefit is particularly advantageous in situations where routing cables to certain node sites would be difficult or impractical.
Radio transmitters and receivers are frequently used in wireless communication systems to communicate data between electronic devices, such as a computers and server. Typically, the antenna of a radio module is tuned to produce a maximum output at a desired frequency. However, the antenna of the radio module may be affected by nearby components and materials, such as metals and di-electrics. For example, nearby components and materials may be coupled electromagnetically to the antenna, thereby changing the characteristics of the antenna. The effect that a component has on an antenna is known as “loading.” Typically, there is some amount of loading on the antenna when the antenna is tuned to produce a maximum output. Varying the amount of loading on the antenna, such as by changing the components or materials near the antenna, may affect the output of the antenna. Consequently, the antenna may need to be re-tuned after changes are made in the components or materials near the antenna. If the antenna is not re-tuned, the radio may have a reduced output after changes are made to the loading on the antenna. Furthermore, a radio module having an antenna tuned to transmit a maximum output at a specific frequency when placed within one device may not transmit the signal with the same strength when placed inside another device having different components or a different arrangement of components because the components will have a different affect on the loading of the antenna. Thus, a radio module antenna may have to be tuned specifically for each device in which it is to be used or else the radio module may be operated in a degraded condition. In addition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must certify electrical devices that produce radio signals. A radio module that is certified by the FCC is certified with a specific antenna and must be re-certified if the antenna is re-tuned.
A need exists for a radio module for an electronic device with an antenna that is not affected by the other components within the device. More specifically, a need exists for a radio module that does not have to be re-tuned and/or re-certified when changes are made to components within the device. In addition, a need exists for a radio module that does not have to be re-tuned and/or re-certified for use in each of a plurality of different electronic devices.